


Call Me Darling

by SpiderQ848



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Fluff, Gender-neutral Reader, Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-03
Updated: 2021-03-10
Packaged: 2021-03-16 13:46:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,284
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29825859
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpiderQ848/pseuds/SpiderQ848
Summary: It's a night on the town like any other when you run into the underground's hottest celebrity, in both senses of the word as far as you were concerned. That's right, it's Mettaton.  But he wasn't at all like the persona he presented to the world. He was scared, alone, full of self-doubt and, most importantly, looking for someone to take his mind off things.
Relationships: Mettaton (Undertale)/Reader
Kudos: 7





	1. Act 1: The Meet Cute

**Author's Note:**

> TW: Talk of Suicide, sort of. I mean, he is a robot.

You stepped out into the outdoor dining area, drink in hand. The rain was coming down steadily but the overhang provided enough shelter that you could still stay dry. 

As you closed the door behind you, you noticed a figure standing off to the side, leaning against the railing. "Hey, I'm not interrupting am I?" you ask tentatively.

"Not to worry darling, the more the merrier," replied the figure, his tone not matching his words. Though it normally carried much more enthusiasm, there was no mistaking that metallic voice.

"Mettaton?"

The figure flinched and turned to face you. He bore an expression of defeat and he smiled halfheartedly while spreading his arms, "The one and only."

Sure enough, before you stood the familiar face of Mettaton, the underground's hottest celebrity. You say familiar, of course, not because the two of you have met before but because you could not count the number of times you've tuned into his show, just to admire him.

He was your long-time celebrity crush and seeing him now left you stunned, to say the least. "I can't believe it's you," you stammer, "I'm such a huge fan, I-"

Mettaton cut you off with a sigh and a wave, "Yes, yes. I've heard it all. I'm sorry, I'm not in the mood to give out autographs today."

"Oh," you reply dumbly, unsure of what to say. So you say nothing. You simply stand there with your drink as Mettaton goes back to staring at the rain.

Night had fallen and, due to the weather, anything more than a few feet beyond the overhang appeared as a blue haze. Still, he appeared to be looking quite intensely at something you couldn't see.

You were just about to leave when he spoke again. "I wonder what it would be like to short circuit."

The comment makes you jump and you nearly spill your drink as you rush over to him, "Are you not waterproof?" You ask frantically, "Should you be out here? Where's Alphys?"

Mettaton laughed, and not just the words 'ha, ha, ha' like when he laughed on tv. It sounded like static but was still strangely charming. "No worries darling, I am safe, Alphys was very careful in building my body."

You relaxed a little and leaned against the railing next to him. He laughed again, leaving you feeling just a bit awkward. What were you meant to say? Thankfully he spared you the trouble of thinking by continuing his little monologue.

Always so dramatic, even when he wasn't on camera. Maybe he'd forgotten how to be off camera.

"It would be fitting though, to go out with a spark. I could just walk out into the rain and burst like fireworks." He held out a hand and the rain bounced off of his skin with a melodic plinking sound.

"Or maybe I could rust." He drew his hand back and shook the water off, "Stand still and stand still forever. Like a statue."

You slowly took a sip of your drink, still unsure of how to respond. Luckily, Mettaton seemed content for you to just listen.

"Do you think anyone would truly miss me? Or would I simply get replaced by a newer, cooler version of me? After all, I'm just a robot." He asked. This time he turned his head towards you as if he expected an answer.

"I'd miss you," you reply.

Mettaton scoffed, "That's what they all say. But how do I know?"

You stare into your drink, "I guess you don't. You just have to trust that someone cares."

He raised an eyebrow and nodded approvingly, "Good answer, I was expecting more superfan nonsense." He raised a glass you hadn't noticed he was holding, "I'll drink to that."

You raise your glass as well and the two of you down your drinks. He pushed on before you had a chance to even swallow. "It wouldn't work anyway, I don't think you can kill a ghost. Even if my body gets ruined, Alphys could just build me a new one."

There's a moment of silence while you wait to make sure he's done talking. "What are you doing here, all by yourself?" You ask hesitantly. You weren't even sure he would answer but after a long pause, he spoke.

"The truth? Hiding I guess. I know I was built for the cameras but it's been years, and it just gets so tiring." He sighed and lowered his head, "Everything feels so fake, I thought I'd try to get drunk. See what it was like to just be me again."

"Did it work?" you ask, raising an eyebrow. You didn't think robots could get drunk.

He laughed sarcastically, "No."

Ah, you were right.

"Well," you say slowly, "Is there anything I can do to help?"

Mettaton turned to face you, still leaning against the railing with one arm. "You know what?" he said, gesturing at you with his drink, "This, has actually kind of made it better. The talking and whatnot. Thanks."

And then he smiled. Not the plastic grin he wore for tv. A real genuine smile. You nearly melted on the spot.

Before you could respond, something beeped and Mettaton stiffened, "Well, time's up. I should get going. Long day of filming tomorrow, I'm afraid." He started to head back inside then paused and turned around at the door, "I don't think I caught your name."

"[F/N]," you stammered as he walked back towards you. "[F/N] [L/N]."

He pulled a small Polaroid photo out of nowhere as well as a pen and signed it with a flourish. "[Y/N]," he parroted, "What a lovely name." He scribbled something on the back of the photo before handing it to you with another smile.

"Thanks, Mettaton," you say earnestly and he nods, walking backwards.

Right before he entered the building once more, he mimed flipping the photo over with one hand, "Call me darling."

And then he was gone.

You stood there, staring at the spot he once stood for a long time, drink still in hand. When at last you thought to do as he said and check the back of the photo, you gasped out loud. There, printed neatly in black ink, was a phone number.


	2. Act 2: Will They Won't They

"No way, are you serious?"

You were currently at your apartment and it was the morning after you'd run into Mettaton. It had been late when you got home and you'd fallen asleep immediately but obviously, the first thing you did upon waking up, was check that the photo was still there. Proof that last night really happened.

The second thing you'd done was show your roommates.

"I can't believe you talked to Mettaton, and he gave you his number!" Alex, your best friend since forever, was currently clutching the photo in disbelief. "You are incredible!"

"Don't get too excited, he just needed someone to talk to and I happened to be there. Nothing really happened." Despite your words, however, you couldn't hold back an excited grin.

Alex laughed, "I can't believe it."

"I can."

Ah yes, that would be the third roommate, Sky. A much newer addition to the group, but a close friend nonetheless, if not a bit cynical at times.

You glanced over the couch, feeling slightly annoyed, "Do tell."

Sky sighed, "It's probably not even his number, you cheered him up a little and he decided to humour you. He's a celebrity after all."

You couldn't stop your smile from faltering slightly as you considered this new possibility, "You really think so?"

"Oh come on Sky," Alex cut in, "Don't be such a downer, and give the guy a little credit, will you? Mettaton wouldn't do something like that, it's his real number for sure."

Sky scoffed and sat up, "Don't get [Y/N]'s hopes up Alex, it's not very nice. I'm just looking out for 'em."

"Alright, alright!" You cut in, holding your hands up at both of them, "There's an easy way to figure this out, I'll just call the number."

"Twenty bucks he won't answer," Sky called.

"Bet," Alex retorted.

You swallowed nervously as you realized that the two of them were both staring at you quite intensely. You glanced around for your phone and breathed a sigh of when you remembered you'd left it in your room.

"I'll call later," you say, heading for the kitchen. "He's probably busy right now, he did say he had filming today, who wants breakfast?"

You quickly whip up some pancakes with the help of your roommates. Then, after they were eaten, you decide to head out for a walk.

As you walked, you let your mind wander to last night, not really paying attention to where you were going. Mettaton's words tumbled over each other in your head. Alex and Sky's comments soon got caught up in the mix as well and by the time you realised where you were, you were thoroughly confused.

Unfortunately, you didn't have much longer to dwell on it because you suddenly noticed that you were at the set of a tv show that was taking place today at a park near your neighbourhood. And not just any tv show. It was Mettaton's show.

Crap.

For a second you considered leaving before anyone noticed you but you managed to fight the urge to turn around and run. This was the perfect chance to talk to Mettaton again. See if last night's conversation meant anything to him. If you left now, you weren't sure if you'd have the courage to call.

While you stood there, paralyzed with the weight of possibility, you noticed a glint of light out of the corner of your eye. Turning excitedly, you were overjoyed to see Mettaton standing there in all his metallic glory. Holding a coffee and talking to a tall skinny man in a funny suit.

The man was gesturing enthusiastically at whatever Mettaton was saying while an angry looking brunette stood next to him and took notes frantically on a clipboard. She paused every so often to push up her glasses and smile at Mettaton who did not seem inclined to smile back.

Gathering up your worries, you shuffled awkwardly towards him and cleared your throat. "Umm, hey."

The trio froze and turned in your direction.

For a second, Mettaton got a strange look on his face. Then it was gone. So quickly you thought you might have imagined it. The man clasped his hands together with joy and the brunette glared at you over the top of her clipboard.

"And who might you be?" The man inquired. His voice was strange and he seemed to overenunciate every word, making you feel just the slightest bit uncomfortable.

You shifted, regretting this decision with every passing second. "I uh, ended up here by accident and thought I'd say hi."

The girl scowled at you, "Mettaton is very busy and can't meet with fans whenever they want. I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

"Oh, I'm sorry," You say hurriedly, "I should explain, I'm [Y/N]. We met last night when he was out at Chilly's."

That was apparently the wrong thing to say because the second you did, the girl gasped dramatically. She spun around to face Mettaton and put a hand on his shoulder, "Is that true? Mettaton! It's not proper for you to go out on your own!"

Something about the way she said Mettaton put you on edge but you ignored it and nodded, "Yeah but don't worry. I don't think anyone else noticed he was there, and we didn't talk long."

The tall man had, until this point, been watching the scene unfold like someone might watch a tennis match. His head bouncing back and forth between you and the girl. Now, all three of you looked at Mettaton who, for the first time in his life, looked very uncomfortable to be put on the spot.

A plastic smile was plastered onto his face and he stared blankly at you. "Oh, ha ha ha. You must be mistaken. Perhaps you were drunk. Chilly's is known for their drinks. Ha ha. I was at home working on my next big hit last night."

He turned to the girl, his expression now more of a grimace than a smile. "Not to worry, Stacey. I know you don't like it when I don't have bodyguards with me. Now would you please get me another cup of coffee. This one's gone cold."

Stacey smiled, "Of course Mettaton, right away," she said and hurried off but not before shooting you one last dirty look.

You, of course, was too busy feeling stunned to notice. Did Mettaton really not remember you? Surely he was just pretending. Could your roommates have been right? You feel your face heat up and look down at your feet.

"Ah right. I'm really sorry. I'll be going now," you mumble and begin walking away with as much dignity as you can muster.

As you left, you heard the man speak up. "Well, that was interesting."

Then Stacey must have returned with the coffee because you heard Mettaton say, "Thank you, darling. Now kindly finalize those designs we were talking about."

By the time Stacey replied, you were out of earshot.

You walked home with a heavy heart and entered the house to find the place empty. A note on the counter informed you that your roommates had gone out, leaving you alone for the moment.

With nothing else to do, you decided you would take a nap and try to forget about this whole ordeal. In fact, you were just about to climb into bed when your phone buzzed.

You drew it out of your pocket to see that you had gotten a text. An unknown but familiar phone number was displayed across the screen along with a single word. 'Sorry'.


	3. Act 3: Heartbreak

Your heart soared, you were right. Mettaton hadn't forgotten about you. He was just pretending not to know you. For what reason, you weren't sure but that didn't matter right now. What mattered was that Mettaton knew who you were.

Excitedly, you swiped away the text and began to dial his number. You didn't even need to look at the paper he'd given you. After all, you'd mostly memorized it right after you'd gotten it.

Your finger hovered hesitantly over the last digit. What if he was still busy. What if he didn't want you to call? But no, it was now or never. You had to do it. You let your finger fall on the final number and lifted the phone to your ear.

The phone rang once, twice, three times. Then a click. "Hello!"

Relief washed over you, "Mettaton I-"

"If this is a fan. How did you get this number, you naughty thing you. If this is Alphys, yes I'm doing fine and yes I'd love to come by for tea. If this is Stacey, don't worry I haven't gone out on my own. If this is anyone else then I'm probably busy. Call back later or leave a message. Thank you, darling!" And then the line went dead.

Your hand dropped dejectedly to your side. That was it then. You felt a single tear threaten to run down your face. Tragically, like in a movie. You felt stupid. Of course Mettaton didn't care about you. You were just some random fan at a random bar. Nothing and nobody.

With a sigh, you collapsed onto the bed. That nap seemed awfully tempting right about now. Maybe you'd feel better when you woke up, you thought as your eyes drifted shut. After all, the solution to most problems was 'have you tried turning it off and on again'. 

And with that, you drifted off.

* * *

Days went by and try as you might, you couldn't get Mettaton out of your head. You tried your best to distract yourself but it was hard when everywhere you turned, merch of some sort featuring Mettaton's face smiled back at you.

Even when you decided that going for a walk would clear your head, billboards proudly displaying Mettaton's upcoming tour dates bombarded you from every direction. No matter what you did, he was all you could think about.

By the end of the week, you had given up on watching tv altogether and listening to music was rare as well. Instead, you had resigned to spending your days moping around the house. Meals consisted mostly of takeout as cooking reminded you of Mettaton's show and unless there were errands to run you didn't really bother to get dressed.

At last, your roommates had had enough.

"[Y/N]," Sky barked one day, drawing your attention abruptly from the book you were reading. You looked up to find both your friends standing in the doorway, both with their arms crossed and looks of determination on their faces.

You blinked, "What's going on?"

"We're cheering you up," Alex replied, "I'm sorry to say this but your behaviour is getting ridiculous and something has to be done."

"This is an intervention," Sky agreed and stepped forward. "We get it, you're sad, now it's time to get over it."

Before you could reply, Alex had stuck out a hand, having approached you while you were distracted with Sky, and waved something in your face.

You swatted at whatever was being shoved towards you and your hand collided with slips of paper. "What is this?" you asked, turning your face away.

Someone grabbed your flailing hand and pulled you abruptly to your feet where you found yourself face to face with Sky. "Tickets," Sky said in response to your previous question. "To a Mettaton concert. One of them's VIP too in case you want to meet him. Properly this time."

You swallowed nervously, processing this barrage of information. Alex held out the tickets, more calmly this time and you accepted them with some hesitation. "I'll think about it, okay?" you said at last. "When's the concert?"

"A week from now," Alex replied, "But it's out of town so you'd better decide quickly. We're going to need to find a hotel and get transportation." You nodded numbly and your two roommates exchanged a knowing look. "We'll leave you to it," Alex added softly and the two moved to leave your room.

Before the door had even closed, Sky popped back into the room, "You will have to actually be dressed for this concert by the way." And with that, you were alone once more.

With a sigh, you looked down at the tickets. A week ago you would have been thrilled to receive these. Now, you weren't sure. On the one hand, to see him at a concert might be enough to remind you of what he was. A celebrity. On the other hand, accepting the chance to see him again would only get your hopes up.

Was it worth it?

You sat down on your bed and mulled it over. Maybe your friends had a point. This whole time you were trying to ignore what had happened but perhaps facing it head-on was a better solution?

That was a thing right? Exposure therapy or something. Nothing you were trying had succeeded in cheering you up yet and it couldn't hurt to go, even if it ultimately didn't work. It would still be fun. Probably.

You gave yourself the rest of the day to think it over and that night at dinner you told the others your decision. The three of you were going to take a three day trip to the next town over and see Mettaton live.

What could go wrong?


End file.
